Thanks NetGallery and North Atlantic Books Publisher for letting me be an ARC reader of this book.

This is a second volume to this series of books and does build on the first one. There are tons of books out there that can just give you a series of poses to follow but what I liked about this book is that it dives deeper than the poses. It discusses how to plan your classes, make them your own and some of the deeper understanding and reflections of yoga. I do think it had some good ideas to help in theming your yoga classes, bring in your own yoga philosophy and voice to them to make the classes your own classes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, North Atlantic Books, for providing me with a digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) for an honest review.

As someone who has practiced yoga on and off for decades and someone who has been teaching for nearly 10 years, I find Sage Rountree to be a great resource for yoga teachers.

Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses, Volume 2: 54 New Thmes, Template, and Ideas for Integrating Inspiration Into Your Class," is a great addition to any yoga teacher's personal library.

The book is divided into three parts: Our Theming Approach, Fresh Themes, and Journal Prompts and Templates. Each section then has subsections, making it easy for the reader to find what they are seeking in the book.

First of all, if you're a yoga teacher who teaches gym yoga and has no interest in yoga beyond asana, perhaps this book will show you there's more to yoga than poses. I say this because I've met "gym yoga" teachers who got their initial certification through an online quickie program that was all about the money. Perhaps they did a two-day in-person workshop where only the asansa/poses are covered. I've witnessed at least one of these teachers realize that yoga is more than asana after going through a 200-hour Yoga Alliance-recognized program.

I like that Sage gave ideas on how to employ themes: opening, during movements, during passes, and closing. My own yoga teacher training didn't include that. I've learned from other teachers when I've taken classes as a student. Plus, she provides takeaways, which is a crucial element.

This book confirmed that I'm on the right path in how I teach yoga.

This is a beautiful book for any yoga teacher or any aspiring yoga teacher. I will be buying this book once it disappears from my NetGalley shelf.

However, I do feel like the templates in chapter 14 are filler. One could be included as well as a link to a webpage to download. I know some people like to write in books, so maybe that's why it's included.

Thank you North Atlantic Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book is the second volume, a companion to Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses”. It builds on the original volume and contains new material while doing so.

Yoga is not about just being on the mat, this book helps solidify this understanding, providing guidance from Hindu mythology, reflections from Patanjali and many other sources to solidify the principles of this ancient practice.

The authors assist teachers with how to plan their yoga classes, and really bring it to life inside and outside the class room.

This wonderful book was engaging, inspiring and a valuable resource to remind myself how to go deeper into my practice and truly embody it in all aspects of my life.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This second volume of Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses is an extension of the first volume offering by Roundtree and DeSiato.

So often, yoga teachers struggle with shifting from a 'student' role to a 'teacher' role, without realising that their yoga teaching can allow them to balance both. From the introduction, the authors mention that our svadhyaya can be to explore philosophies, ancient texts and themes that resonate with us, to allow our learning to be expressed through our teaching. It gives us the opportunity to explore with storytelling, finding the right words and the right students, as the authors mention.

While I don't necessarily agree that the yoga sutras applied to modern life are a 'fresh theme,' some of the ideas presented are a great way to connect to, and honour, the roots of yoga in a modern, Western, context.

Ultimately, this book gives some great ideas, but the implementation of them comes down to the teachers' intentions; we want to use the ancient teachings mindfully and with respect, not just to find a connection between the sutras and a Kacey Musgraves song. A bit more emphasis on appreciation over appropriation could have been taken throughout this book with this in mind.

Book Review: Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses (Volume 2) 📖✨

As a newly certified yoga teacher, I’m always looking for inspiration to deepen my teaching practice. Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses (Volume 2) is an incredible resource for structuring meaningful, themed yoga classes. It offers guidance on:

✅ Theming your class – How to create a flow that feels cohesive and intentional
✅ Pose selection – What asanas align with different themes
✅ Integrating yoga philosophy – Bringing wisdom beyond the physical practice
✅ Finding your authentic voice – Making the class truly yours

This book isn’t about memorizing scripts—it’s about understanding how to weave deeper meaning into your sequences so your students leave feeling both physically and mentally nourished. Highly recommend for any yoga teacher, whether you’re just starting out or looking to refresh your approach!

I haven't read the first volume so I wasn't familiar with the layout or content of this series. I was interested in the theme ideas and how a yoga class could be structured.

I found this very alien and inauthentic. Several of the things suggested I felt were outside a yoga teacher's remit.

This may be cultural because I've not come across any yoga classes where the things suggested would be appropriate. If a teacher started reading poetry or song lyrics in a class or gave me wool at the beginning of the class, I would walk out.

As someone relatively new to Yoga, I was interested in learning more about themes in Yoga classes, how to create them and carry them through an entire class. This book eloquently explained how to use Yoga philosophy to create themes and how to integrate them fully into your class. The possibilities are endless, and offers huge creative potentials for teachers and students.

Yoga is not only about the physical poses, but is a spiritual practice that involves, yes the body, but also mind and spirit. Having a "theme" or a reference point during a class can help students to access their inner strength, spirit, and knowledge. It's about having intention and purpose with your movements, to allow the flow of Yoga to open your perception to your inner monologues and internal journey of discovery.

I look forward to exploring themes more fully as my practice unfolds and allowing the conversation between mind, body, and soul to speak more clearly so that I can integrate the teachings of Yoga more effectively.

As someone new to Yoga, this book is more advanced as it focuses on the philosophy of Yoga, but I think even beginners can find wisdom and insight in its teachings.

I loved volume one and referenced it frequently for inspiration for yoga and meditation classes. Volume two is just as inspirational and I can’t wait to own it! It’s evident the attention of detail and heart poured into this.